Howl
by Audrey Bogart
Summary: A re-vamped  no pun intended  version of 'Adieu'. A new addition to the Cullen household has everyone on edge, especially when her sights are on a usually shirtless and completely loveable wolf.


**Howl - Hello There**

* * *

_Bella_

The violet neon sign flickered to the words 'Hello There' and I winced at the true meaning of the words. Edward had warned me before I even set foot in my truck that Emma was not a friendly person and the sign was simply a means to an end. The night club known as 'Hello There' was nestled deep in the woods and could only be reached driving on a dark secluded road north of Portland. The house itself was a masterpiece with its gothic architecture that was so unlike the rest of the Portland countryside. The white paint was a brilliant contrast to the house's features and I breathed a sigh of relief as a group of girls came waltzing out the large front door laughing. Their bronzed skin and rosy cheeks clued me in that there were others here like me: humans. I cradled my body to the warmth of the light sweater I had stupidly chosen to wear, thinking that this night would be a bit warmer than the rest. Ever so shyly, I walked up the cement steps and behind the Greek pillars that adorned the front porch. I raised my hand and gasped out loud when the door swung open without out my knocking. A short blonde with frayed wisps of hair standing on end from the back of her head stood before me. She was, of course, breathtakingly beautiful and her red eyes revealed her identity. She was a vampire.

"No humans allowed unless you have an invitation." Her thick Cockney accent was strange amongst the American voices in the background. She looked absolutely bored with my being there but Edward warned me of this too. I had to simply state that I was here on behalf of the Cullen clan and I would be let in. It seemed like the last name was my ticket everywhere these days.

"My name is Bella Swan and I'm here to speak with Emma on behalf of Edward and Carlisle Cullen." Immediately, the blonde's attitude changed and a cheeky grin spread along her ruby colored lips.

"Has it been ten years already?" She eyed me like a piece of fresh meat from the butcher but opened the door wider for my entry. Her light colored locks barely moved as she motioned towards the iron clad staircase winding up to the second floor. "If you can find her, let her know that the house band has been worried sick about her." The door slammed behind me and the sprite like blonde was out of sight. I could finally take in my surroundings. The room I was standing in wasn't a living room but a decked out club complete with a bar and a rowdy jazz band playing a lively melody. Cigarette smoke filled the air as a few couples got up from velveteen chairs to dance along to the sounds of the saxophone. I filled my head up with Edward's angelic voice and replayed the strict instructions given to me-

"She'll be away from the public eye because she values her privacy. There will be a mixture of vampires and humans but you won't be able to tell the difference inside the club. She won't be excited to see you but keep any traces of conversation going." I should have never agreed to come to Portland but the urgency in his voice was enough. It was a mixture of fear and sadness resonating in his throat and whole heartedly believed that the mysterious Emma was of great importance to him. But he failed to mention the why and the how.

I cautiously climbed up the wrought iron staircase that was laced with tiny multicolor lights. The second floor had been transformed in a kind of club as well but the soft white bulbs created a certain classier ambience than downstairs and the smell of beer and hard liquor was drowned out with champagne. Black cushions littered all the bedrooms – doors unhinged and nailed to the wall at an attempt at art deco, perhaps. White pillar candles resting in glass hurricanes lit up the hallways as well as a plain wooden door hidden in shorter hallway next to a set of French doors. I cautiously made my over to the heavy door and tapped lightly against the wood. The door creaked open a bit, inviting me into the corridor that housed another small fleet of stairs. Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. I was quickly gathering that this area was not meant for visitors and I was possibly a trespasser as well. The hairs on my arm, which had been sticking up straight since I entered Hello There were now relaxed as the sounds of Elvis Presley filled my ears. His sweet southern voice melted the brisk sounds of jazz away from the room. Slowly, the image of a wonderfully magical bedroom shifted into my sight. A large canopy bed decked out in a billowing white comforter set off the mood for the entire bedroom. The bed itself was tucked tightly into a corner of the room next to another set of French doors. A simple lavender rug created a nice offset to the bland wood panels of the floor and except for the occasional book or the pile of records stashed neatly next its player, the room was bare. I did, however, spy a tiny vanity propped up against the right side of the room and a very elegant chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling. The fixture wasn't even equipped with electric light bulbs. I sighed at the ethereal elegance emanating from the simple room. The mysterious Emma had brilliant taste.

"Can I help you?" I nearly jumped three feet in the air as a strange voice sounded behind me. Her voice was melodic and my entire body warmed over like nice bourbon. I turned around and met a pair of intensely green eyes. I had to step back just to get a better look at her. Auburn hair cascaded down to the middle of her back and I thought against my better judgment what kind of colors shined brilliantly through those strands. I was guessing a combination of reds and gold but the dark lighting made it difficult to tell. Porcelain skin made me question her mortality but the blazingly green eyes and the pink hue to her cheeks told me otherwise. The rest of her, to put it politely, was quite the picture. Her stance made her seem like an Amazonian warrior rather than the meek woman Edward had described to me. Whether it was the high heeled boots or not, she seemed incredibly tall. Womanly curves shaped her into an ideal of male perfection and I wasn't surprised at how envious I was of her natural beauty. It seemed as if she had been molded from the most beautiful things of the earth by the hands of Mother Nature – impeccably natural. Her small carnation colored lips formed a Cheshire grin and I immediately recoiled the fine compliments starting in my brain. The forest green peasant dress she wore accented her statuesque frame and set off those clover colored orbs. Her suede boots knocked loudly against the wooden floor as she came up to my right side, sniffing the air around her. "A human? So you must be Edward's little toy." Her posture was straight and confident. I could tell from her half smirk and the piercing look in her eyes as she crossed the room that Emma had little to no trouble mastering the art of seduction. I could only imagine the many men who had fallen at her feet but had been sent away. I swayed uneasily on my feet.

"I'm not his toy," I tried to stammer out defiantly. Her smile was brighter now and fuller. I was amusing her. Her laughter rang out like soft flute humming to a light tune.

"My mistake, Bella." I was only half surprised that she knew who I was. She paused by the door. "You can tell that half witted son of a gun that if he ever sends another human to my doorstep, I will slit him from nose to navel." Her tone was so light that I had to do a double take at her murderous words. But her eyes were not on me as she abruptly swung open the door, revealing my object of infatuation.

"Please Emma, you don't have to be so dramatic." Her voice lowered to a new octave and for a moment I had believed that a wolf was growling.

"You sent a _human_? That's low, Edward, even for you." I was standing there like a quiet court jester listening to the royal family argue. Even in the heat of battle, her movements were fluid like an avid dancer.

"You can zero in on my presence. I had to keep your mind busy for awhile." Edward's voice was calm and I could feel myself shudder at the cool tone. The motion was not lost on him as he claimed my stare for a moment. "You know why I'm here, Emma." I was certainly glad that SOMEONE knew the reasoning behind this whole cinematic scheme. The woman glared at the vampire for sometime before shaking her head.

"I won't go." Edward's golden hues narrowed at the woman he had told me so little about.

"The Volturi are after you."

"The Volturi are always after me!" She had no fear in her voice as she spoke the name that still sent chills down my spine. No, she spoke of the ancient immortal clan like they were nosey neighbors she couldn't wait to get rid of. Her lean arms were folded against her chest like a stubborn child and I truly felt pity for the man beside me. Arguing with Emma was like arguing with a brick wall.

"You have no choice in the matter. Carlisle is calling in his debt." Her pouty lips formed a small 'o' before thinning out into a gorgeous frown. "Pack only things of sentimental value. Material objects will be provided for you. Alice has already shopped for your wardrobe." Emma's features fell as she collected a few items around her that easily fit into a leather satchel hanging on the back of her bathroom door. Edward hooked his arm into mine and kissed the top of my head as a sign of gratitude before moving me towards the door beside Emma. Without a single word spoken, we traveled back down through the two levels of the club and out onto the porch.

Emma turned slightly at the door and handed a bronze key to the blonde door greeter and whispered a few orders before meeting us at the truck and the Volvo.

"I'll follow behind you. Emma will ride with me." Another squeak of rebellion sounded off from her lips.

"What about Lucille and Julio?" He grinned down at the woman he was treating like a long time friend and nodded his assurance.

"Emmett, Alice, and Jasper will be down in the morning to pick them up. Go wait in the car." I could hear her teeth grinding from my place by the truck but she obediently followed Edward's instructions. I smiled up at him and leaned up against the cold metal of the beast.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

"As soon as it's safe, I will gladly tell you." I was going to hold him to it, too.

The drive back to the Cullen home was shorter than expected as I eagerly pulled up next a brand new yellow Camaro and an old Chevy Corvette in mint condition. I could only guess that these were Lucille and Julio. Emmett and Alice must not have paid attention to the speed limit signs – again. I greeted my new family with a few hugs and a big smile as Edward pulled up behind me with Emma seated beside him. I watched him questioningly as he left the vehicle and wandered up to the Cullen group with a slick grin plastered to his face. All eyes were now on Emma as she maneuvered herself to the driver's side. I half expected her to hotwire the Volvo and make a mad dash back to Portland.

"She'll be out in a second. Just give her a moment." A loud honk signaled the beginning of a very short exertion of a temper as Emma screamed out her frustrations inside the confines of the silver Volvo. Then, like a very proper lady, Emma exited the car and skipped up to Carlisle with broad grin on her flawless face.

"Welcome home, Emma. Did you get all that out of your system?" Her cheeky grin grew wider as she nodded without any hint of embarrassment. I watched from the sidelines as every single member of the Cullen household embraced the woman like a long lost relative. My interest was definitely peaked.

Thanks to a deliberate lie on Alice's part, I was able to stay the night with the stipulation that Edward was off limits for the night. I shifted inside the sleeping bag Alice had made up for me for the night as she explained why he had to see to Emma's needs for the night. I couldn't help but be slightly jealous over this new female. She didn't scream 'vampire' to me but I knew she wasn't entirely human by the way she had sniffed the air earlier.

"Emma's a very dear friend. Her father and uncles were all very close to Carlisle and he even helped raise her. Benjamin was her father and Bailey and Bryce are her uncles." I snuggled in deeper within the down lining and propped myself up on my elbow.

"What is she? I mean, she doesn't look like a vampire." Alice glanced around the room, searching for any eavesdroppers, I suppose.

"She's only part vampire. You see, Emma is a half breed. She's part human and part vampire. Her mother was actually part of a coven of witch's but she died giving birth to Emma."

"And that's why the Volturi are after her?" Alice propped herself up on the palms of her hands and watched the stars flicker in the night sky through her window.

"No. See…a lot of times half breeds are born with a curse. Well, the superstitious called it a curse. Half breeds are born with two sets of DNA – one human and one vampire. Well, the vampire set tries to kill everything living inside the body cause that's what vampires do – we feed on the living. It's very rare that this doesn't happen. Emma's mother managed to prolong her life with a certain potion or spell or whatever they call it. At the ripe old age of 18, however, the spell was broken and Edward injected her with his own venom and balanced out the strains of DNA. She now has two vampire strands that feed off of each other and her human one. Carlisle explains it better."

"And THAT'S why the Volturi are after her?"

"No. They want her because she would make a powerful weapon. You see, Emma DOES age; she just does it really slowly. She only has to feed every ten years and then survives on human food the rest of the time. She's not nearly as strong or as fast as we are but she has this amazing earth – given power she inherited from her mother's side. Aro is obsessed with learning about her." A loud crunch echoed behind us and both Alice and I turned to see Emma's shape filling up the doorway.

"I sparkle too." Her Kelly green eyes thinned out into angry slits but the emotion was directed at the pixie like vampire sitting beside me. "If I wanted my business shared with a human, I would gladly tell her myself." This time the heated glare was directed towards me as Emma licked traces of the apple she was munching on away from her lips. The words of warning were lost on Alice as she pranced over to the doorway and politely closed the door as the rumored half breed turned on her heels. I decided that now would be the perfect time to close my eyes and drift off to sleep.


End file.
